Veneers are like small fake fingernail and wafer-thin porcelain facings; they are bonded onto the front side of teeth to correct chipping or changed colour, or to provide minor changes in alignment. Veneers also work very well to close spaces between teeth, mask tetracycline stains, or to change the shape of teeth.
In particular, porcelain veneers, which have been used for decades, bond extremely well with tooth enamel. Even though porcelain itself is a brittle substance, it becomes extremely durable when it is firmly bonded to such a sturdy substance as a tooth.
Benefits:
Porcelain veneers closely mimic the characteristics of dental enamel: dental enamel is semi-translucent, which means that, when struck by light, the light passes through the enamel and reflects off the opaque tooth below the surface. Because porcelain veneers have the same properties—they too are semi-translucent—light will pass through in the same way to reflect off the tooth below. The use of porcelain veneers thus ensure a more consistent and aesthetically-pleasing smile.
Moreover, porcelain veneers, unlike cosmetic dental bonding, is not susceptible to staining and discolouration: as a ceramic, it has glass-like properties, which means that it is stain resistant.
